ZOOM, Skype and Co. are experiencing an absolute boom. The reason: the Corona crisis. People can no longer meet privately and now chat via video to maintain social contacts. These portals are also increasingly used for webinars and video conferences. But it is not only during this time that they offer advantages. You can find out exactly what webinars and video conferences are, what advantages they bring and do’s and don’ts that make you an expert, here in the blog.
What are webinars and videoconferencing?
Webinars make sense in this day and age. In universities, for example, so-called “distance learning” is introduced in many places. Suitable portals/software solutions include ZOOM, Skype, Adobe Connect, WebEx, Google Hangouts or GoToMeeting. Most have many useful features such as screen sharing, text chat, tuning and an upload option that leave nothing to be desired. The only basic requirement is the required software. Each participant needs an appropriate PC or laptop, an internet connection and, if necessary, a suitable headset.
Do’s at webinars and videoconferences
Exercise makes the master
Webinars are definitely a new experience for those who have so far only given lectures in front of an audience. You can also see his audience in webinars, but it’s a little more impersonal. The barrier is often given at first. But that is normal! Practice your presentation, take advantage of opportunities you wouldn’t normally be given. Exercise makes the master and this also applies here. Go through your presentation and play with the technical options. What is the best way to present yourself and your webinar? Try it out.
Use your visuals in your favor
It is generally important to make these visually appealing during presentations. Nobody reads too much text. In webinars, this guiding idea is becoming even more important. As a rule, the participant only sees your presentation and hears your voice. At most you can still be seen in a small window in the corner. So it’s immensely important to visually enhance your presentation. Use appealing images, interesting infographics and keep the text punctual. Otherwise, you run the risk of losing the attention of your viewers.
Leave questions about
Webinars are characterized by interaction. So that doesn’t mean you’re just holding your presentation and you can end up asking questions. Your audience might have questions about a topic at the beginning, which will be forgotten in the end. So share your presentation in thematic areas and allow questions after each topic. This makes your webinar more dynamic and gets your viewers to participate actively.
Find influencers to help you
Almost in every niche there are suitable influencers, including in yours. Influencers give you additional reach and new audiences that you can tap into. Bring them to your webinar as interlocutors and experts. This makes you more interesting and imaginative. Influencers can quickly attract more participants.
Don’ts at webinars and videoconferences
Not too many slides
When you hold a webinar with a presentation, your audience just sees it—not you. This is a serious difference from seminars. Don’t use too many slides and make sure that there’s an appropriate amount of text on them. You shouldn’t just read from the slides. Rather, they should complement you and summarize what you say. Important: Don’t stay on a slide for too long. As I said, your audience only sees that and this puts you in danger of getting bored quickly.
Don’t talk too much about yourself
Your audience doesn’t want to hear your entire resume or what you’ve written for great books. Surely a short introduction to your person makes sense at the beginning, so that each participant can get an idea of you. However, you hold the webinar to offer and introduce your audience to their problems. Focus on it.
Don’t be discouraged by a few participants
All beginnings are difficult. This also includes slowly but steadily making a name for yourself in your industry. So in the beginning, you may send countless invitations to your webinar, but only a fraction of them. That is not a problem! Don’t be discouraged by it. If you do your job well, it’s talking around and you’ll see that more and more participants will be added soon.
Don’t plan your webinar too short-term
Give your potential participants time. Many certainly have a busy schedule in the near future. If, on the other hand, you plan your webinar in the longer term, the chance of winning more participants is higher. However, you should not plan it too far in the future. There is a danger that you will be forgotten. True to the motto “Oh, that’s only in 7 months. I’ll look again.”
Conclusion:
With these Do’s and Don’ts, your webinar or video conference becomes an absolute success. Orient yourself to the tips and be yourself. Your participants understand this if everything doesn’t work out right away. Just as you had to learn to speak in person in front of an audience and use certain rhetorical means and other tricks, this is no different with webinars. Matter is different and working into it takes time. Gradually, you’ll be sure to be familiar with all the new features and can use them to your advantage.
